Storage file



Jan. 1, 1929. 1,697,359 s. c. HUFFMAN STORAGE Fina Filed Dec. 18, 1926attain/01.;

Patented Jan. 1, 1929.

siren srvrssi SAMUEL C. HUFFMAN, OF LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.

STORAGE FILE.

Application filed December 18, 1926. Serial No. 155,668.

My invention relates to storage and filing cases, its object being theprovision of a reinforced case which is dust proof and vermin proof,.which may be easily opened or closed, which is so designed that itmaybe constructed at a low cost, which occupies very little space eitherwhen it is in use or knocked down, and which is easily set up from 1tsknockdown position. Especially is itmy object to provide a latch whichis automat1c n operation when closing the case, which is easilyunlatc-hed without danger of accidental unlatching, which is entirelyout of the way when several cases are stored in stacked relation, andwhich serves also as a reinforcement for the case and as a closure forthe slit between the two parts of the cover or lid of the case.

Having in view these objects and others which will be pointed out in thefollowing de scription, I will now refer to the drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a view in perspective of the storage file, the covers beingshown in part- 1y open position to disclose the latching strip.

Figure 2 is a view in perspective of a portion of the storage fileshowing particularly the latching strip and the button.

Figure 3 is a view in transverse section of the latching strip and of aportion of the cover.

Figure 4 is a view in perspective of the, storage file, the bottom beingin partly open position to show the construction of the storage file andparticularly to show the relation of the pull strap to the bottom.

Figure 5 is a perspective view in out-line of the closed file.

The storage file is made from a single rectangular piece of any suitablematerial which in the present instance is corrugated fiber board. Thisrectangular piece of fiber board of suitable dimensions is simplyprovided with slits and creases so that it can be readily assembled fromits knockdown position. One

of the side walls is secured to one of the end.

walls by means of a gummed strip of tape 10. For storage andtransportation, the en-' that the flaps 12 are each equal in size anddimensions to the bottom of the box. They are then folded by firstfolding a. flap 12 to entirely cover the bottom of the file, thenfolding the end flaps 11 and finally folding the flap 12 having thestrip of gummed tape 14. The pull strap 13 is secured to one of theflaps 11 at its hinged edge so that when the box is set up the-pullstrap will projectfrom between the layers of the bottom as shown in 13,this position being the most convenient one for the user of the filewhile itat the same time does not subject the strap to wear whendragging the box from a shelf. The outer 0f the two flaps 12 is providedwith a strip- 14 of gummed tape which needs simply to be moistened andattached to the side wall when setting up the box. It is understood, ofcourse, that the flap 12 to which the strip 14 is secured is the flapwhich forms the outer or bottom layer in the set-up file.-

The top of the file is similar in. some respects to the bottom but thevarious flaps-are of somewhat different dimensions The side flaps 15 and16 each have a width which is equal to half the width of the file sothat when they are in their closed position the edges of the two flapswill meet. The end flaps 17 may have any desired width but in mypreferred construction each has a width equal to the width of the flaps15 or 16. This construction permits the flaps 17 to be folded overportions of the contents of the fileand it permits the folding over ofthe flaps 15 and 16 so as to entirely cover the contents of the file.The flaps 17 also provide a more rigid construction for the file. Whenthe flaps 15 and 16 are in intimate contact with the flaps 17 the fileis vermin and dust proof with the possible exception of the center seam.I have, however, provided means for making this center seam dust andvermin proof by means of a seam-closing strip 18 as shown in Figures 1and 2.

The seam-closing strip 18 is preferably made from sheet-steel of verylight gauge or from any other suitable material. It is bent into theform shown in Figure 3, its open portion having the two parts spacedslightly less than the width of the corrugated fiber board or othermaterial of which the file is made. It is also provided with apertureswhereby it may be secured to the material of the file at the edge of thefiap 16 by means of rivets 19 or the like. A portion of the strip 18thus projects over the flap 15 at its edge so that the flap 15 cannot belifted withoutfirst lifting the flap 16 and so as to cover the entireseam between the flaps 15 and 16. The projecting portion of the strip 18is, of course, bent on itself with a thin space between. In this thinspace is inserted another strip 20 of sheet steel or the like, thisstrip extending throughout the length of the strip 18 and projectingbeyond the ends in the form of downturned resilient ears 21 havingapertures 22. The ears are also very slightly incurved so that they willengage the buttons 23 which are secured in the front and rear end piecesof the file. These ears project outwardly only a. very slight distanceand they are positioned in the paths of the apertures 22 when closingthe file. As a result,

when the flap 16 is brought down in its clos ing position, the ears 21engage the buttons 23 and thus latch the entire cover. The button ispreferably the kind known to the trade as the stud and post type ofbutton.

The great advantage of this construction resides in the fact that thelatching is entirely automatic when closing the box, the latching devicebeing so simple that it may be easily released when it is desired toopen the file. The latch, moreover, does not add anything to thethickness of the cover so that it is not in the way when similar fileboxes are stacked on shelves as is the usual custom. The onlyprojections are at the front and rear where they are least objectionableand these projections are soslight that the space wasted by them isnegligible. he pull strap 13 is in its most convenient position at thefront of the file and it is of such construction that the bottom or anintermediate file may be easily withdrawn from a stack of files withoutinjuring either the pullstrap or the file. When the cover is thuslatched the strip 18 is held tightly pressed against the flap 15 and itthus prevents the entrance of dust and vermin through the seam at themeeting edges of the flaps 15 and 16. The latch also materially adds tothe strength of the box to withstand the crushing efiect of the weightof the stack.

While I have described my invention in very explicit terms, it will bereadily apparent that a number of modifications are possible withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention. For example, the buttonscould be secured to or formed integral with the resilient ears and theend walls of the file could be provided with reinforced socket-s forreceiving the ears.

Having thus described my invention in such full, clear, and exact termsthat its construction and operation will be readily understood by othersskilled in the art to which it pertains, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A box having one of its sides open, a clo sure for the opening in saidbox, said closure comprising two members hingedly secured to said box atopposite edges of the opening thereof, said members having a combinedwidth which is substantially equal to the width of the opening in saidbox whereby said members will meet at their free edges when they are intheir closing positions, a strip secured to one of said members at thefree edge thereof, said strip having a proj ecting portion which is bentupon itself, the said portion being in alignment with the outer surfaceof the member to which it is secured whereby it is adapted to cover thefree edge portion of the other of said members when said members are intheir closing position, a resilient strip within the projecting portionof said first-named strip, said resilient strip having bowed anddownturned ears at its extremities, and buttons projecting from thesides of said box and in the paths of said ears, said ears beingprovided with apertures for engaging said buttons.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

SAMUEL C. HUFFMAN.

